6 top cars for fuel efficiency, and 2 guzzlers

Grab your spreadsheets! The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency have released their 2013 Fuel Economy Guide, a data-packed list showing car buyers how much they should expect to spend on fuel over the course of a year based on manufacturer, model and engine size.

Ranking comparable models by combined fuel estimates (15,000 miles a year, 55% city, 45% highway driving) also aims to nudge folks toward vehicles with the best efficiency rating in their class, part of an ongoing effort to cut emissions and ease the nation’s reliance on imported oil.

Not surprisingly, subcompact electric vehicles top the list. Best of breed goes to the 2013 Scion iQ EV, rated 121 MPGe. (To rate electric cars, testers devised a conversion factor that translates kilowatts per hour into miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent, or MPGe. Questions? Check out the guide’s FAQ page at www.fueleconomy.gov.)

Honda

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Honda’s nifty little electrified Fit takes the No. 2 spot on the list of most efficient EVs, with a MPGe of 118.

Mitsubishi

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Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV was came in at No. 3 among electric vehicles with a 112 MPGe.

Ford
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also shows exceptionally well in the hybrid category, with its C-Max and Ford Fusion Hybrids tied for the No. 2 spot at 47 MPG.

Ford Motor Company

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Ford’s Fusion Hybrid. The DOE/EPA ratings might not always match manufacturers’ claims, but the idea is to provide the public with an impartial set of numbers dealers are required to stick on all new cars.

Bugatti

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Those unencumbered by such mundane concerns as price are probably not going to fret over fuel costs. Lurking near the bottom of the list, at 10 MPG, is the mighty 16-cylinder Bugatti Veyron ($1.3 million buys 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds).

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